The Order of the Golden Dawn, also known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, or Golden Dawn for short, was an actual real-life secret society. The Golden Dawn was a magical order active in late 19th and early 20th century Great Britain who studied the practice of the occult, metaphysics, and paranormal activities. They believed in spiritual development and practiced using rituals and incantations to summon beings from the spirit world to bless and guide them to spiritual enlightenment. Many modern-day concepts of ritual magic such as Wicca and Thelema were inspired by the beliefs and rituals of the Order of the Golden Dawn. The Order was one of the largest influences on 20th century Western occultism.
The episode title "A Stronger Loving World," is spoken by Gabriel Cain (Paul Kaye). "And you shall enter it on wings of light and know at last that you have come home to a world stronger and more loving than any you could dream."
Reid is reading from "The Golden Bough", a study of comparative religion by British anthropologist Sir James Frazer. It was originally published in two volumes in 1890. It surveys the spiritual beliefs, practices, and institutions of cultures worldwide and posits a natural progression from magic to religion to science. The author provides detailed descriptions of esoteric rites and ceremonies, analysis of recurrent motifs in myth, and interpretation of the primitive worldview.